Panettone French Toast & Bacon

LET IT SNOW!

Are you one of the millions of fortunate recipients of the wonderful tall leavened fruitcakes of Milan this Christmas?

Panettone has been made for hundreds of years using live sourdough mother yeast. A combination of old baking art with butter, raisins, citrus rinds and durum wheat in a 50 hour process produces a rich, moist, fresh Italian cake.

Fr. Adam reminded me that a restaurant company we worked for in the 1980's gave us Panettone for Christmas every year. So he brought one for us here this year. Thanks for the memory and the delicious cake, Fr. A.

I sliced a thick cross-section of the cake. Soaked it thoroughly in two eggs beaten with cream and a pinch of salt. Then cooked it over medium low heat in butter until golden brown on both sides.

Dusted with powdered sugar!

We are fans of good thick bacon from the butcher shop.

You might want to serve it with maple syrup or mascarpone cheese. It was so moist and sweet, we were satisfied with the dusting of sugar and bacon. This cross-section of the Panettone can serve three or four people. Add a cup of hot coffee and enjoy a delicious Holiday Breakfast!

And here's a Holiday Centerpiece to go with the Holiday Breakfast. A circle of nine 15 inch tall angel vases with stargazer lilies that I am sending over to Sandi at the Whistlestop Cafe for her lovely Centerpiece of the Month event. December will be an awesome month for her centerpiece displays.

Sending Holiday Blessings Your Way...

Tartiflette

A wonderful wintery dish! 

A tartiflette is made with Reblochon cheese, potatoes, bacon, onions, garlic and cream. A favorite in ski areas and winter wonderlands everywhere for it is a hearty, warm and rich dish. We served it as a side dish in this holiday menu:

Champagne Reception

Veuve Clicquot Rosé

Shrimp Cocktail

Gouréres au Cumin

First Course

Nigl Grüner Veltliner 2007

Moules å la Mariniére

French Baguette

Salad Course

Chèvre Chaud, Green Salad, Dijon Vinaigrette

Main Course

Domaine Henri Jouan Chambolle Musigny 2005

Filet Mignon Chausseur

Tarragon Horseradish Crème

Side Dishes

Tartiflette

Carottes de Bébé avec du Miel

Dessert

Vol-au-Vent with Winter Fruits and Vanilla Yogurt

Coffee & Tea

Chocolate Candies

And while we were in the kitchen prepping our holiday meal, look who came to visit Susan's back yard. Those are ornamental deer under the arch, and their live counterparts came by to check them out! See the three deer in the right of the photo? Magical!

Reblochon is a raw cow's milk cheese from the Alps region of Savoie. It is creamy, nutty, with full-flavor (somewhat stinky). In the middle-ages, farmers there were required to pay rent to the landowners in the form of milk and cheese based on production. The crafty farmers would hold back some of the milk until after the tax collector had left, then go back to finish milking the cows. This second-milking produced a richer milk, and was used to make their special Reblochon cheese. Cheese made from unpasteurized milk aged less than 60 days is not legally imported into the US, so we used a substitute cheese, Fromage de Savoie, made in the same manner but with pasteurized milk.

We had a fabulous time visiting Susan in New Jersey. We woke up early, had our coffee and began cooking. Everyone had an assignment which was loads of fun (and I sure appreciated the help)! Here my brother and sister-in-law are working on their projects. Don is making dessert; cooking quince, pears and oranges in a sugar and cinnamon syrup. Kristy is cooking the bacon for the tartiflette, and in the foreground, I am working on leeks and celery for the mussels.

Meanwhile Susan is prepping the goat cheese medallions with egg wash and panko breadcrumbs. It will be refrigerated and ready to fry in peanut oil later on. And a big thanks to Esther (in the back) who is helping everyone keep a clean workspace. 

Kristy's tartiflette turned out great: Sliced waxy potatoes are boiled in water until al dente. A sprig of fresh rosemary adds a nice essence. Sliced onions are sautéed in some of the bacon fat until golden brown, minced garlic is added at the end and cooked for a few more minutes.

Layer potatoes in baking dish, then onions with garlic, then bacon. Season with a little salt and fresh ground pepper.

Repeat. Then about a half cup of cream is poured over the top. 

Top with sliced Reblochon/Fromage de Savoie. We recommend leaving the rind on.

The tartiflette was baked at 400°F early in the day. Later we would put it back in the oven to heat right before dinner. I first saw this dish on Fiona Beckett's blog and knew immediately it would be a big hit around here. For a more detailed recipe and if you are a cheese aficionado, do check our her blog and her excellent book, Cheese: From Fondue to Cheesecake which has inspiring recipes and beautiful photographs. 

I was wondering why I hadn't had this delicious tartiflette before, as I lived and skied in Aspen for 4 years after college. It is supposed to be a favorite of skiers after all? Fiona answers that question for me in her book, apparently tartiflette was invented by the local cheese commission in order to sell more Reblochon cheese, in the 1980's! Well, that explains it.

Please come back soon to read more about the special dinner later that evening at Susan's...

Happy Holidays to All!

There's No Place Like Home

Wishing You a Magical Christmas!

Soufflés au Comté

Hello cheese lover! Comté. Soufflé. We are in heaven.

A bit about this cheese: First of all, Comté (pronounced con-tay) is produced in France in the Jura mountains bordering Switzerland.

The farmers raise Montbéliarde cows (95% of the herds) or French Simmental (5%), and feed them a natural diet based on fresh grass during the summer months and hay during the winter.

The flora in the Jura Massif is very diverse and, depending on where they are located, cows may graze on different plants. This is reflected in the milk and, ultimately, in the varying flavours of the cheese.

Each day the farmers deliver their milk to their local fruitière (cheesemaking house). Each fruitière has its own distinct profile related to the aromatic characteristics of the Comté that it produces. These aromatic characteristics reflect the terroir (or soil, climate, flora, etc.) of where the cheese is produced.

One fruitière is characterized by aromas of melted butter, milk chocolate, hazelnuts and fudge. When the cheeses are aged beyond 15 months, aromas of toast, plum compote, leather, pepper and dark chocolate are apparent.

Another produces Comté that is dominated by butterscotch aromas with a hint of toast, followed by fruity aromas such as hazelnut, roasted nuts, sweet orange juice and ripe apricot. With longer aging, the aromas of hazelnut and orange become more pronounced.

I cannot read these descriptors and not pine for this cheese. For more information please visit comte.com. It's a very informative site (and you'll get a kick out of the picture of the cows)!

Overview of Steps to Make a Soufflé

Melt butter, add flour whisking for 2 minutes, 

then whisk in milk. 

Let cool slightly, add egg yolks.

Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Fold in grated Comté. 

(I spy Tomato Tarte Tatin waiting in the background).

Beat egg whites with a bit of salt until stiff.

Gently fold egg whites into the béchamel mixture.

Fill ramekins (buttered, chilled, with grated cheese on bottom) with soufflé batter. Sprinkle more grated cheese on top and bake at 400°F until golden. Resist temptation to open the oven door while they cook. When they are done, serve immediately!

I hope Fr. Adam and I are able to convey here how easily done, fun, and satisfying it is to make cheese soufflés. We thoroughly enjoyed the process. Perhaps you'll find this overview inspiring? The recipe we used comes from the engaging Chocolate & Zucchini Cookbook. We'd love to hear about your favorite soufflés too, as there are definitely more soufflés in our future!

Shrimp with Risotto and Corn - Fast!

When there are presents to wrap and cookies to bake it's nice to have a meal that takes only a few minutes of active cooking time and the ingredients are already on hand in the pantry and the freezer.

Box. Bag. Can.

Box of Cheese Risotto - just add water, white wine, a tablespoon of butter

Bag of Frozen Shrimp - cleaned, uncooked, tail-on

Can of Corn - drained

Add water, wine, butter, and risotto mix to pot.

Bring to boil, lower heat, stir occasionally.

When the rice is almost cooked, pour in lots of frozen shrimp, right from the bag.

When the shrimp are pink and the risotto is al dente add corn and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with scallions.

"The feast of the seven fishes is a tradition that Italians follow every Christmas Eve. La Vigilia or the vigil is kept with the custom of dining on 7 fish dishes as we await the birth of the savior at midnight," writes Maryann. She and Joe are hosting this fabulous Seven Fishes Feast event. I thought they might enjoy a quick yet very tasty dish to add to their bountiful buffet, so I am sending this shrimp over their way, along with wishes for a dazzling Christmas!

Images

A funny thing happens when one totes the camera around, ready to take a photograph of the next tasty morsel...the eye starts to notice other than food-related photo opportunities, a serendipity of a food blog indeed! I am grateful for the chance to capture some images of my surroundings and to be able to share a glimpse of the beauty of Southern California with you.

Sunset over the Port of Long Beach

at Bluff Park, Ocean Blvd. Long Beach, California

Tomato Tarte Tatin

Brunch Menu

Tomato Goat Cheese Basil Tarte Tatin

Red Leaf Green Leaf Salad, Dijon Vinaigrette

Comté Cheese Soufflés

Handcut Bacon

Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc

Oh, we had such a delightful brunch! I hope I am able convey the light lovely delicious flavor combinations served here. The menu is straight-forward and uncomplicated, but this brunch menu is a winner by all accounts!

Father Adam is my longtime dear dear friend. He was going to be in town at the same time as my family visiting from Chicago. We determined he had not seen my brother in over 20 years (and therefore had not met my sister-in-law, nor their sons). Father Adam and I cook together often. He is a terrific cook. You may recall reading about some of our dishes, including the one we made for Julia Child's birthday event, Coq Au Vin.

We thought it would be neat to cook brunch and for everyone to get (re) acquinted. Father Adam arrived around 9 AM and we began prepping the meal. We took a break to shoot some hoops with Stone, and a few hours later the adults were ready to sit down to a very memorable meal with the light streaming in, with the food, family, and friends, what could be better?

We served dry, crisp, complex Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc California Sparkling Wine, a great complement to the meal and how apropos to serve a "local" wine to out-of-town guests here in California.

Tomato Tarte Tatin: Slice Roma tomatoes lengthwise. Squeeze the seeds and juice out of tomatoes and place in baking pan drizzled with olive oil, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence. Cook at 350°F for about 40 minutes. Pour out any juices left in the pan.

Top the tomatoes with crumbled goat cheese then cover with puff pastry dough. This is my cherished Le Creuset Tarte Tatin Pan. Handcrafted of porcelain enamel cast iron, it is designed for recipes that are started on top of the stove and are finished in the oven. The curved side handles make it easy to flip foods over onto a plate. This is a great pan for making quiche too, if you are a quiche lover, you might enjoy visiting here and here.

Tuck the dough under the edges of the tomatoes. Make holes in the dough to let steam escape and bake in the 350°F oven until the dough is golden. Remove from oven and let rest until ready to serve. Then...

Father Adam demonstrates the Tarte Tatin Flip Over. 

Place platter over the pan.

Invert.

Slowly remove pan.

Voilà!

Top with shredded basil. Serve.

Recipe inspired by the charming Chocolate & Zucchini Cookbook. Please stay tuned for the Soufflés post from this special brunch.

HoLiDaY PaRtY TiMe!

Happy Holidays!

It's holiday party time!

Are you planning a gathering for your work or business?

Perhaps some of these ideas will be useful...

For the second year in a row, we held our party at The Depot Restaurant in Torrance, California. The banquet room is a warm space with red walls decorated with kimonos. Just the right size for 75 - 100 guests, the lighting is flattering and the acoustics generate good energy in the room yet allow for conversation.

Full bar, great wine by the glass, festive non-alcoholic drinks.

Live Music

Barry Anthony Jazz Band playing Christmas favorites as well as snappy jazz tunes.

Jalapeño Cheese Wontons

Reception with passed appetizers to encourage mingling among the guests.

Ahi Tuna Tartare

Neat little bucket to place used spoons.

Chicken Empanadas with Thai Chile BBQ Sauce

Global Flavors!

 And Fried Macaroni & Cheese (not shown)

Each place is set with party favors, Holiday Jam and Sugar Plum Jam by Stonewall Kitchen decorated with ribbons and bows and a recipe sheet for the Chef's cooking demonstration.

Chef Shafer prepares the first course, Smashed Potato Corn Bisque, as a demonstration. Everyone gets a copy of the recipe to recreate at home. We had so much fun at the Depot last year, we came back again this year. Last year Chef Shafer demonstrated a Wilted Baby Spinach Salad with Dates and Bacon, excellent recipe, here.

If you are cooking for A LOT of people, this recipe scale is for you:

Potatoes:

• 25 Red Skin Potatoes
  
• 1/2 c. Canola Oil
  
• 2.T. Course Salt
  
• 2.T. Course Black Pepper
  
• 2 T. Chopped Garlic
  
• 1 T. Basil Dried

Soup Preparation:

• 2 c. Diced Onion
  
• 2 c. Diced Carrots
  
• 2 c. Corn, Fresh off the Cob
  
• 1/4 c. Canola Oil
  
• 1/2 gallon Cream
  
• 1 gallon Chicken or Vegetable Stock
  

Toss the potatoes with the list of ingredients above, roast on a baking sheet at 350° F for 35-40 minutes. Let cool then smash the potatoes by hand.

To prepare the soup:

Sauté onions and carrots in oil until soft.

Add cream, heat through.

Add smashed potatoes.

Look at this kitchen equipment, would ya? Oh, I love that pot, and how about that immersion blender!!!

Blend briefly, then add stock and heat through.

Add fresh corn kernels, salt and pepper to taste, then...

Serve

First Course: Smashed Potato Corn Bisque

Wouldn't it be neat to recreate this demonstration for guests in your home during your next dinner party?

Main Courses:

Curry Roasted Salmon, Cashew Veggies

Roast Sirloin with Mixed Mushrooms and Mashed Potatoes

And Buttermilk Chicken & Fries (not shown)

All Served Family Style

Desserts:

Banana Cream Pie

Berry Cobbler

Pumpkin Trifle

Pumpkin Pie with Strawberries

Some tips I have learned over the years from planning holiday parties for the workplace:

• Save the Date. Let guests know the date well in advance of the party.
  
• Plan business party date early in the holiday season so as not to conflict with personal holiday parties.
  
• Choose a convenient location, not too far from place of business.
• Have clear communication (in writing) with the Chef regarding food and with the Manager regarding expectations for set up and service.
  
• Encourage employees to bring a guest whether it be a spouse, significant other, family member, or a friend.
  
• A pretty and joyful invitation indicates your intention to throw a special party.
  
• Have specific start and end times (not too late).
  
• Insure safe transportation.
  
• Accommodate special dietary needs.
  
• Full bar, good wines, special seasonal non-alcoholic drinks.
  
• Live music.
  
• Entertainment (We love the cooking demonstration)!
  
• Employer to make a brief speech, welcome guests, share good tidings.
• Have unique party favors to take home. (Since we have a cooking demonstration, we give food related gifts).
  
• Festive atmosphere and decorations.
  
• Encourage guests to wear holiday attire.
  
• Pay attention to detail.

If you have holiday party tips for the workplace to share, we'd love to hear them!

Spiced Sweet Potato Gratin

OK, so we needed a little break from Thanksgiving fare...from squash, pumpkin, turkey leftovers, and the like. So we went on to cheeseburgers and tamales. But there are still some wonderful, easy to prepare holiday dishes to be shared. Like this one...

Sweet potatoes (not yams) about 5 large, peeled and sliced thin. If you have a mandoline, that is the perfect tool. If not, you can use the slicer on your food processor. No special equipment? Slice thin with a knife, that would work just fine.

Butter a baking dish, or use non-stick spray. Form a layer of overlapping sweet potato medallions. Sprinkle the top of each layer with the following:

• Course salt
  
• Fresh ground black pepper
  
• Freshly grated nutmeg
  
• Brown sugar
  
• Pumpkin pie spice
  

Repeat for a total of three layers. If it sounds odd to add salt and pepper to a sweet dish, do not let that stop you. This combination works so don't be shy. I am a fan of fresh grated nutmeg, so I add that in addition to the pumpkin pie spice.

Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of:

• Ground cinnamon
  
• Ginger
  
• Lemon peel
  
• Nutmeg
  
• Cloves
  
• Cardamom

Pour cream over the sweet potatoes until about half way up the side of the baking dish. This 9 X 13 dish will serve over 20 people.

Baked covered with aluminum foil at 350 until the potatoes are al dente, about 1 1/2 hours. You might want to put the baking dish on an underliner, as it tends to bubble over. Remove foil and continue cooking until the potatoes are soft and the top is browned.

Holiday Tip: I make this a day ahead, cooking covered until al dente. Then I let it cool and refrigerate over night. Take out of the refrigerator about an hour before reheating. Cook uncovered until hot and bubbly. The best part: You can reheat this in the oven while your turkey is out of the oven and resting.

It is also a great dish to bring to someone else's party. Once cooked, it transports well. Wrap it in aluminum foil and just heat it up when you get there. All the different spices make for an interesting dish, you'll be a hero.

Speaking of being a hero, Aunt GeeGee (that would be me) is one too, with a new basketball court for my nephews! Here is Stone on the day before Thanksgiving. Nice shot! We took a break from cooking to shoot some hoops. By the way I don't just shoot photographs, I've been known to shoot a three-pointer every once in a while too!

The Gift of Tamales

Handmade with love: Three generations of women with one more generation on the way (congrats to Emily, due in April) worked from 7 PM to 1 AM last week making 100 tamales in the style of their Central American roots. And I was one of the lucky recipients of that labor of love. Thank you, ladies!

A banana leaf is laid flat then topped with masa prepared with lard and seasonings. Pork ribs were sliced into bite-sized pieces by their butcher, then cooked with onions and spices. The masa is topped with the cooked pork, peas, garbanzo beans, unpitted little green olives, capers, and some had achiote paste.

Wrapped up in a neat little bundle with aluminum foil to hold it all together and steamed for an hour. (To reheat, simply remove the foil and warm up in the microwave). The filling was a surprise in that there were bones and pits to watch out for. Marlene tells me this is the way they have always made it, I suspect the bones enhanced the already delicious depth of flavor and I love the authenticity.

Served with a salad of sliced tomato, white onion, avocado, a drizzle of oil and squeeze of lime. The tamale was dressed with Crema Salvadoreña (Salvadorean style sour cream) and salsa roja. Muy sabroso. And the beauty of giving tamales as a gift, they are already wrapped! Muchas gracias a la familia del Figueroa.

Cheeseburgers and Crosstown Rivalry

It's Friday before THE game, get yourself a Double-Double cheeseburger from the In-N-Out Burger truck in the parking lot on your way into the faculty lunchroom. Before you sit down to enjoy your lunch, you have a decision to make. On which side of the table will you sit?

Saturday is the big football game between longtime crosstown rivals USC and UCLA 1:30 PT at the Rose Bowl Stadium. Not surprisingly, at the K-8 school where I work here in Southern California, there are voracious fans on both sides, all good-natured and spirited! Many of the faculty and staff are graduates of one of these two universities, and those that are not get into the fun by sporting a sweatshirt from their own alma mater.

The lunch table is equitably and fabulously decorated by Judy (a USC fan herself) half the table with USC memorabilia, the other half representing UCLA. There have been 77 match-ups between UCLA and USC with USC winning 42 times, UCLA 28 times, and 7 tie games. Last year's score: USC 24, UCLA 7.

Where are you sitting? Me, I'm neutral, I'll sit in any open seat, except when it comes to the Fighting Illini. Then I sit with the Orange and Blue! 

UPDATE: 

Final Score 2008 Match-Up: USC 28, UCLA 7

Lunch at La Mar

La Mar Cebichería Peruana has as its main mission "attaining that all who visit discover, enjoy and forever make their own the marvelous invention that is Peruvian cuisine, created throughout the past 5,000 years" with locations in Lima, Peru and San Francisco, California...and soon to open in Mexico City and Santiago, Chile.

La Mar San Francisco is located at Pier 1 1/2 on The Embarcadero in an amazing space with soaring ceilings, full of light, and views of the San Francisco Bay.

Have you tried a pisco sour, the quintessence of a Peruvian cocktail?

• 2 oz pisco brandy
  
• 1 oz key lime or lemon juice
  
• 1/4 oz simple syrup
  
• 1/2 egg white
  
• 1 dash Angostura® bitters

Shake ingredients vigorously with ice, strain, and garnish with bitters. Pisco is made by distilling 100% fermented grape juice in copper pot stills. It is a method developed by Spanish settlers in Peru over 400 years ago.

You can sample pisco flights at the bar. How does one describe pisco? Unique, rich, clean, lush, fruity, tangy, crisp, smooth, nutty, spicy, grappa-y... I would love to hear how you interpret the taste of pisco brandies.

Cebiche Criollo: Baja California yellowtail, mussels, calamari, scallops in a spicy aji rocoto leche de tigre with habenero, cancha, red onion, Peruvian corn and yam. Very spicy (that's a habanero ring as garnish) and very flavorful!

Tamalito Verde: Fresh Peruvian corn cilantro tamale with red onion and lime juice.

Causa: Whipped purple potato with avocado puree and aji amarillo sauce.

Cordero: Braised lamb shank, mashed rice and bean tacu tacu.

Some other dishes we enjoyed included...

Chorillana: Roasted red snapper, mashed yucca, tamarind, red onion and tomato sauce.

Lomo Saltado: Traditional stir-fry of sautéed beef tenderloin, onions. tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce, garlic, aji amarillo with fried potatoes.

Arroz: Peruvian style vegetable risotto.

The desserts were excellent too. I love the china in which they serve their sunken crème brûlée over purple corn compote.

And these little orange glazed chocolate beignets were a hit as well...If you are in San Francisco, we highly recommend La Mar for its interesting and fresh Peruvian menu, both classic and modern dishes, its breathtaking colorful space, and engaging knowledgeable staff. 

When we dine out, we love to share. With so many interesting dishes and new flavors, we had to put all the dishes in the middle of the table. In fact, we started out at a table for four, but had to move to a bigger table so we had room for all the plates. How about you, do you prefer to savor your own dish or would you rather try them all?

Turkey Mushroom Barley Soup

Doesn't soup just hit the spot after the holiday meals?

Feeling lucky? Carve the wishbone from the turkey breast. Clean and dry the wishbone. Two people each grasp one end and twist until it breaks. The person left with the longer piece (the one who got the "lucky break") gets to make a wish, a wish to be granted by the great turkey spirits! 

Cooking the carcass for soup makes the kitchen smell like Thanksgiving all over again. I break up the carcass then simmer it for a few hours in water with rough chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Strain, cool, refrigerate overnight, remove some fat.

Add 2 bay leaves to the turkey stock and a generous cup of pearl barley. Cook for about an hour or so until the barley is tender. Meanwhile sauté chopped onions, celery, and carrots in butter until soft, then add sliced crimini mushrooms, and finally chopped garlic.

When the barley is tender, add the vegetables and leftover diced turkey to the soup. Simmer for about 10 minutes more, remove the bay. To finish, add chopped parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.

Wishbone lucky break or not, 

May all your holiday wishes come true...